The prophecy of Haggai, interpreted and applied in sundry sermonsThe prophesie of Haggai, interpreted and applyed in sundry sermons

as when he pleaseth, he sometimes taketh away the things themselves, in both to teach us to cast up our eyes from the earth to heaven, from the the creature to the creator, which let us do and when such things befalls us, Remember the speech of Job, who when his goods were spoiled, &c. Considered not the Sabeans but looked directly upon the first cause which ruled and governed the second, and therefore said The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken; which that we may so much the more, let us also ¹consider the next point that followeth, which is the benefit that ariseth to the Church by these punishments, for as the Physician ministereth a bitter potion to his patient and draweth away his meat to the end to heal and cure his malady; and as the father chastiseth his child who he would have reclaimed: so the Lord corrected this people that they might leave their sins, which is taught them when the Prophet saith that this was done ²because each man ran to his own house and suffered the Lords house to lye waste, and so also would it fare with us when we neglect God, we would even perish out of the way, if God called us not back by his correction, which Elihu also noteth to be one means whereby God doth recall men from sin: he also striketh him with sorrow on his bed, and the multitude of his bones with ³a sore grief &c. If there be with him a messenger, and Interpreter one of a thousand who can show man his equity &c. And the Prophet ⁴at large in the Psalm openeth the same by sundry examples of such as wander up and down, and them that are in prison or tossed on the sea and that inhabit barren grounds, &c. Noting ⟨p. 39⟩this of them all, that when they cry to him out of their distress he heareth them and helpeth; as he did Jonah out of the Whales belly: this should we consider to be the cause of wars and other chastisements and not refer them (as some are wont) to the Eclipse of the Sun or Moon, or conjunction of some planets, or to the sextile or quadrate aspect of them: No: plagues, wars, sickness, famine, they are not effects of these causes, the eclipse is in us, not in the Sun or Moon that causeth these things: It is for that the moon, whereby (in the Apocalypse) are signified all changeable things, is not trod under our feet as it should be,